Tiny
by Nahaliel
Summary: Nick is pretty sure he can deal with just about everything his crazy life has to offer now: being a cop, a Grimm and, well… being Nick. Which, of course, is when a fun-sized problem with little arms and legs comes crashing in and turns all that upside down.
1. Chapter 1

_**Hi there! This is just going to be a two-shot most likely… Set sometime after an earlier fic, "Making Things Right": Juliette knows Nick is a Grimm and has adjusted to that. Basically a simple short story exploring how Nick would deal with a tiny person wreaking drool-covered, peanut-butter-stained havoc in his already complicated life. Hope you enjoy!**_

* * *

The squad room was empty except for Hank and Nick, the only sound the clacking of computer keys as they each finished filling out their reports. Even the Captain's office was dark; the only light the small pool shed by each detective's desk lamp.

Nick's phone rang.

"Am I going to have some company tonight or have our bed all to myself again?" Juliette.

Nick grinned, feeling ridiculously happy just hearing her. "Oh no, I think you're going to have to share that bed tonight. And tell you what, I'm taking you out first, then we can head home and…"

Hank snorted. Nick kicked his chair lightly, sending him swiveling across the floor.

"We could always order in..."

Nick dropped his voice low, "I'll be home as soon as I can, then."

Juliette laughed on the other end of the line, a bright, refreshing sound. "Don't keep me waiting." She hung up.

Hank glanced at his watch. "I think we can call it a night, man." He stretched dramatically. "I see you've got big plans."

Nick smirked. "And what are you up to?"

Hank got a smug look on his face, and straightened out his collar. "_I_ have a date."

"Who's the lucky lady?" Hank pulled a picture up on his computer screen and Nick was more than a little surprised. "Jess? You guys've already been seeing each other for a couple weeks now, right?"

Hank's smile was infectious. "Uh huh. She's just… great, man." The goofiest grin spread across his face, and Nick punched him lightly in the arm. Now, that was something he'd barely ever seen on his partner. Definitely not since Adalind… and not a whole lot before. Four ex-wives would probably do that to a guy – not that Nick could really know. It was good to see Hank back on track.

"Detectives Burkhardt and Griffin can see you." They both turned at the sound of Wu's voice.

Hank and Nick exchanged a glance and looked up to see the sergeant guiding a woman over to their desks. She was young, not much older than twenty five, with wispy blond hair framing a mousey face and tired blue eyes.

Hank pulled a chair over. "Please, have a seat."

She sat, purse in her lap, hands fiddling nervously with the straps. "I know it's late. But… It couldn't wait. I was really starting to worry."

"Ma'am, could you start by telling us your name?" Hank asked gently, mouse clicking as he pulled up a new form.

"Yes, sorry. Jenna Mason."

"Okay, Ms. Mason, what can we do for you?"

"Please, just call me Jenna," she said slowly, voice quivering slightly. Nick waited and watched, out of habit – Jenna's bottom lip quivered and for a second she looked painfully desperate – but nothing happened. Her face didn't change, shift, distort or anything, so Nick sat back. His best guess would have been Maushertz, but not all the people that walked into PPD were Wesen after all. She took a deep breath. "Someone has been watching our house."

Nick repeated, "Watching your house?"

"Yes. A car, parked at the end of the street. I can see it from the living room window."

Hank frowned. "When was the first time you saw it?"

"They were there twice last week. And when I got home from work today, they were there again." She rummaged through her purse, pulled out a picture and handed it to Nick. The photo was a bit grainy and taken from far away, but the two faces in the front seat were distinguishable. As was the license plate.

Nick took it and smiled reassuringly at her. "This gives us something to go on. Have they ever made contact with you? Displayed any threatening behavior?"

"No…" Jenna worried her bottom lip. "All they did was sit there for… about an hour at a time."

"Can you think of any reason someone would be watching your house?" Hank asked, catching Nick's eye and discreetly raising a brow.

Jenna shook her head, looking blank for a few seconds, then her face fell. "Goddammit, Dan…" she murmured.

"You remember something?" Hank asked gently.

"My husband... Dan has some gambling issues. He told me it was under control, but knowing him that probably wasn't true after all." She sighed, looking resigned. "That's the only reason I can think of."

Nick nodded, studying the picture still in his hands. Maybe down at the lab they'd be able to enhance the image enough to get facial matches for the occupants of the car.

"Okay, Jenna," Nick said, and all three stood, "We're going to work on finding out who those people in the car were, and we'll keep you updated." He handed her his card. "If you ever need to... Call us."

She nodded gratefully. "Thank you so much." Wu arrived to accompany her out of the building.

Once they were out of earshot, Hank turned to Nick, frowning. "Gambling debts aren't easily forgiven… I have a feeling this isn't some insignificant amount. Could get dangerous for them."

Nick nodded. "I'll have dispatch send a car down there a couple of times tonight. I'll wrap up here, you go." He bounced his eyebrows up and down with a grin, "You wouldn't want to keep Jess waiting."

A big grin split Hank's face as he got up and glided out of the squad room, throwing a mock salute in Nick's direction before disappearing down the hall.

* * *

The lights were off downstairs when Nick got home.

"Honey?" he called, shedding his jacket, and placing his badge and gun on the table by the front door. Juliette's muffled voice floated down from their bedroom. "Up here!"

Nick grinned to himself and took the stairs two by two. The bedside lamps were on, giving the room a soft, warm glow. The bathroom light was on too. He stuck his head through the doorway and found Juliette at the sink, with her back to him. She noticed him in the mirror and smiled, turning to face him.

"You're late," she said, crossing her arms and giving him a mock scolding look.

Nick sighed and approached slowly. "Some last minute things came up. This woman came in saying her house was being watched, and Hank and I were – "

Juliette's lips cut off the rest of his sentence and lingered against his, soft and warm. She pulled away. "You're here. That's what counts."

She opened her mouth to say something more, but Nick gently grasped her head in his hands and kissed her again, deeply this time. Her hands slid down his front and he felt his breathing pick up slightly.

Nick lifted her up against him, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Not letting go of her lips for an instant, he carried her over to the bed and laid her out on it, leaning over her. "Nick," she said between kisses, "There's something…" he pressed his lips to hers again and she giggled, "I wanted…" Another kiss; she pulled away and finally he sat up, "To talk to you about."

Nick stopped at this. "Is everything okay?" He brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes.

Juliette looked a little flustered. "Yeah, of course…" she paused, seemingly rethinking it, then a mischievous smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "You know what? It can wait," she said, pulling Nick's shirt over his head. Then she got his jeans unzipped, and he forgot the whole nearly-conversation very quickly.

* * *

Hank had greeted Nick with an even bigger grin on his face the next morning. And he was still grinning. Okay, Nick had to admit, he was feeling pretty happy too. Wu glided up to their desks and cocked one eyebrow at them.

"Either our report filing software just got one hell of a lot more entertaining… or you both got laid," he deadpanned.

Hank swiveled his chair to face the sergeant. "Some guys are luckier than others, huh?"

"Did the squad car catch anything out of the ordinary at the Mason house last night?" Nick changed the subject, trying not to smirk.

Wu shook his head. "Perfectly calm. And no black car sitting at the end of the street." He narrowed his eyes at Hank, who grinned innocently back at him, then Wu headed back off to his desk.

"Detective Burkhardt?" Kyle Walter, the young lab tech from downstairs, approached holding a manila folder in his hands. "We were able to enhance the image on the photo you brought down last night." He pulled two A4 sized photos out of the folder and handed them to Nick. Hank leant in.

"Doesn't that guy look familiar to you?"

He sure did. The one guy from the Lowen games they'd had only been able to get behind bars for two years. Leo Taymor's close associate.

Hank looked a little worried. Nick thanked Kyle, who left, then he leant in, lowering his voice. "You remember that underground fighting ring?"

"Yeah, those twisted gladiator games?"

"They were Wesen games. Lowen."

Hank looked unimpressed, weary almost. "This guy on the picture was one of Leo Taymor's associates… The one who got away with almost nothing."

Nick pulled up the file on Leo Taymor from the depths of his hard drive. Not exactly a case he wanted to come back on. "Josh Clayton."

"Why the hell would he be watching their house?"

Nick had a sinking feeling about this. "Dan wasn't betting on just anything. Clayton must have started up another underground ring…" Dammit. Dan must be Wesen then. Lowen as well?

"Okay, let's run the license plate, maybe we can get more info on that guy; check out his recent whereabouts." Hank entered it into the database.

"Guys," Wu zipped back over to their desks. "You're going to want to hear this. We just got a call from one of the Mason's neighbors. Said they heard shouting and some pretty loud commotion coming from their house."

Hank and Nick were already pulling their jackets on and heading out to the car.

* * *

The house was small, just off a busy intersection and the street looked peaceful. Typical suburbia, complete with the impeccably trimmed lawns and lines of red and blue mailboxes. The Mason's front gate and yard seemed undisturbed: no sign of forced entry so far. And no black car at the end of the street. Hank pulled up in front of the Mason's driveway and killed the Charger's engine. Nick got out of the car and peered up and down the sidewalk.

Hank clapped him on the shoulder. "I'll go talk to the neighbors; you check the house."

Nick jogged up the front steps to Jenna and Dan's, taking a quick peek through the living room window, then knocked on the door. No answer. He tried the doorknob, and his heart sank a little as it gave under a small amount of pressure. Then he saw the splintered wood and scratched lock, and drew his gun.

To his left, the living room was empty, but various pieces of furniture were strewn across the floor, the coffee table splintered in half. Flowers lay by the window in a heap of broken glass, a puddle of water staining the carpet.

"Dan?... Jenna?" he called cautiously into the kitchen. There was a long smear of blood on the floor, like someone had been dragged all the way across the tiles and out the back door.

A dull thump from upstairs had Nick whirling around. He backtracked to the front hall and quietly took the steps two by two. The master bedroom was undisturbed and empty, as were the bathroom and office. At the end of the carpeted hall was a closed door. Another thump sounded, seemingly coming from behind it. Nick raised his gun, took a deep breath and swung the door open.

It was a child's room. A small child from the looks of it, wooden crib in the corner, changing table under the window, tiny clothes folded in a pile on the dresser. The feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach intensified. He pulled his cellphone out, dialing Hank.

"What have you got?"

"Signs of struggle, blood. Jenna and Dan are nowhere to be seen. We need to call their closest relatives… Their kid might be missing too."

Hank cursed under his breath, "OK. I'll get forensics over – "

Nick nearly dropped his phone as the thumping sound comes again, from right behind him. The closet. Hank called his name over the line. "I'll call you back," Nick hung up and stuck it back in his pocket, lifting his gun again.

He pulled the closet door open slowly. "What the…?"

At about shin level, his eyes fell on a shock of blond hair sticking up in every direction and a pair of huge blue eyes peering curiously up at him. A tiny boy. Barely 18 months old, sitting at the bottom of the closet, clad in miniature jeans and a blue shirt, and clutching a stuffed bear at least twice his size. There was a long, quiet moment where they just stared at each other. Then the little guy cracked a broad grin, revealing tiny teeth and uncoordinatedly clapped both hands together.

"Hey there..." Nick began slowly. "What's your name?"

"Ty'wer!" he exclaimed, crawling out of the closet and gripping a fistful of Nick's pant leg to pull himself upright.

"Your name's Tyler?" He got an enthusiastic nod in response. Nick peered around the room one more time. No signs of struggle here at least.

"How old are you, Tyler?"

He had to think about that one, looking down at the fingers of one tiny hand, tongue sticking out in concentration. Then he held up two fingers.

"Two. Um… Good job."

Tyler looked pleased with himself. Then he reached up with both arms. "Uppie!"

"You want up? Okay..." Nick stooped down to the baby's level, but Tyler shook his head, grabbed the big teddy bear by a foot and tried to drag it out of the closet.

"An' bear!"

Nick leant over and helped him pull the stuffed animal out, then awkwardly lifted both teddy bear and child into his arms. Tyler grinned and gripped the fabric of Nick's shirt to keep his balance. "Why don't we head back downstairs?"

Tyler seemed to ponder this, then reached over Nick's shoulder with a little whine.

"What is it?"

Tyler pointed to the crib, so Nick led him over to it. "Dat," he said, leaning out of Nick's hold and over the railing into it. That..? He was going to need to be a little more specific. Like… to exactly which one of the fifty stuffed animals inside did 'that' refer to? Nick was almost running out of hands and arms here.

"This guy?" Nick pointed to a stuffed elephant. Tyler stuck out his tongue.

"Okay…. How about this one?"

"N'oh."

Not Winnie the Pooh either… Nick tried a couple more times, then they both shrugged in defeat.

"Wink."

Nick raised an eyebrow and decided to just put him inside the crib. He toddled over to a stuffed monkey that looked a lot like various pairs of mismatched socks sewn together.

"Wink?"

Tyler nodded, cuddling the stuffed animal close. "Alright… Is that it?" Nick lifted him back out of the crib and carefully started his way back downstairs, arms full of stuffed animals and baby.

"Nick?" Hank's voice sounded from the hallway. "Nick! Answer me! There you are. Why'd you - ?" His eyes bugged out a little. "Where the hell did he come from?"

Tyler waved at Hank. "He was in a bedroom closet upstairs…" Nick shoved the big teddy bear into Hank's arms. "Jenna and Dan must have seen something coming and hidden him up there."

Hank held the bear out at arm's length, regarding it suspiciously. They made their way back down the front porch steps and back out to the car. Hank stuffed the bear into the front seat.

"Buckle up!" Tyler exclaimed.

Hank raised an eyebrow at the little boy, and Nick had to stifle a laugh at Tyler's near perfect imitation of the expression. In a matter of seconds though, the drawstrings of Nick's hoodie became the newest distraction, and saved Hank from fulfilling the task of 'securing the bear'.

"So… What are we going to with him?" Hank asked, and watched Tyler pull the white string all the way down, until the hood was scrunched beyond repair behind Nick's neck. He gently pried it from the tiny fingers, earning himself an indignant huff.

"See if he has any relatives he could stay with. I've got a bad feeling about this… There was a lot of blood in there."

Two squad cars pulled up in front of the house, followed by Renard's SUV and a CSI van. Renard got out, trench coat billowing behind him and looking mostly unfazed to see one of his detectives holding a baby, apart from a slight arch in his left eyebrow.

"His parents are missing?" Renard asked seriously.

"We think they've been abducted," Nick answered as Hank left to show CSI into the house.

"Tyler?" The little boy looked up at Nick expectantly. "Do you know where your mom and dad are?"

He looked blank for a second, then his bottom lip trembled. Uh oh.

"Mommy? Daddy?" he whined, eyes filling and tears spilling over. Nick gave Renard a semi-panicked look. The Captain just shook his head and set off to join Hank back inside the house, throwing over his shoulder, "Get in touch with any known relatives."

"It's okay, Tyler," Nick tried, jogging him up and down awkwardly on his hip, "It's okay, buddy."

Tyler's crying tapered off slowly and he looked up at Nick with wide blue eyes.

"It's alright; We'll find them, okay?"

The toddler seems to consider this. "O..t'ay. Nickee find dem." He held Wink out to Nick. "Hug you."

* * *

"You stay right here, got it?" He sat Tyler down in the front passenger seat with Wink and the huge bear to keep him busy, then he dialed the precinct.

"Wu, I need a favor."

"I'm listening."

"We think Jenna and her husband are missing… But their son was left alone in the house. Could you find me any of their known relatives and give me some phone numbers?"

Wu hummed. Keys clacked. "Aha... Here we go. Ronnie Mason. Dan's mother… But she lives in Vermont…"

Nick winced, trying not to feel prematurely discouraged. "Anyone else?"

"Father died last year… Jenna's parents died in 2001." More keys clacking. "Hang on, she has a younger sister. Last known address…" Wu sighed. "Naples, Italy. Sorry, Nick, but I think you're going to have to turn this one over to social services for the time being."

Nick cringed internally. "Alright. Thanks, Wu."

He hung up, pocketing his phone. Social services were really the last option. Nick pulled the back door open and leant into the backseat to grab the laptop. So, close relatives weren't close enough geographically to get here in time. There had to be other options. Aunts, uncles... Friends as a last resource.

Nick shot a quick glance at the front passenger seat to check on Tyler. Who wasn't there anymore.

"Tyler?!"

Nick ducked out of the back seat and looked left and right down the street, scanning porches, front lawns, driveways. Then his eyes fell on blond spikes, just barely poking out from behind the hood of his car. He rounded it to the other side, and found Tyler standing in the street.

"What are you doing, kiddo?" Nick asked as he approached.

Tyler grinned and pointed. Nick followed the tiny finger. A golden lab sat in a driveway just across the street, wagging its tail happily.

"Doggy!"

Nick swallowed and took a step closer to Tyler.

"My doggy!"

"Your dog? Okay, we can go see him together, just stay th– Tyler!"

The little boy paid no attention and ran out into the middle of the road as fast as his tiny legs would carry him. And it was pretty goddamn fast for a tiny were on a fairly quiet, residential street, with no cars in sight, but still, Nick bolted after him.

Luck just did not seem to be on his side that day. Of all the moments a car could come roaring down the street, it had to be when he was still three feet away from the kid, chasing him across the road. Tires screeched loudly as a huge, black van tore around the corner at three times the speed limit, and barreled towards them. Nick got the quickest glimpse, of the bumper, the familiar license plates, and the tinted windows before his hand closed around the fabric of Tyler's shirt, he snatched him up off the ground and kept running.

The vehicle didn't stop, but continued to barrel straight towards them. Nick still had a couple of feet to sprint before completely clearing its path. The driver accelerated. Nick dove out of the way. Unfortunately, a couple inches too short.

* * *

_TBC_


	2. Chapter 2

_**So sorry for the long wait! One more chapter after this... I did say that last chapter too, so... ;) Thanks for all the favorites and follows, and to my guest reviewers! Wish I could thank you guys by PM. Hope you all enjoy!**_

* * *

The left side of Nick's body took most of the impact. Tyler was safely tucked into his chest, his arms forming a complete barrier around the tiny head and limbs, but the shock sent them tumbling to the side of the road. Nick pulled his legs up to keep them from rolling any further, and his head snapped back against the concrete with a crack, dazing him. They skidded to a stop, Nick feeling the elbows of his jacket fray against the pavement and holes torn in the knees of his jeans.

Gritting his teeth, he unpeeled himself from around Tyler and lifted him up, frantically looking him over. No physical damage, apart from a little scratch on his left elbow, _thank god_. Tyler stared wide eyed down at him, frozen for all of two seconds, then broke into ear splitting sobs.

"Nick! You okay?!" Hank's voice and pounding footsteps approached. Nick pulled himself up off the asphalt and onto his knees, ribs protesting at still holding the wailing toddler up.

"Jesus, you guys alright?" Hank got down on one knee by them, grabbing Nick's head and peering into his eyes. Nick inched away.

"We're… fine. Did you get the plates?"

Hank grimaced. "Yeah. You're not going to like it. Same plates from the photo. Looks like whoever took Jenna and Dan has moved to more drastic measures."

Tyler had quieted, arms and legs drooping in Nick's hold, sniffling dramatically. Arms aching, Nick pulled the little guy into a cuddle, and Tyler instantly made himself at home, tucking his head under Nick's chin.

"I think they wanted Tyler," Nick said, out of breath. "But then they saw me."

"Burkhardt, do I need to call a bus?" Renard asked coolly, having somehow appeared at Hank's right.

Nick shook his head, looking down at Tyler once more, just in case. "No, we're good."

Hank frowned and pointed to the knees of his jeans and his shirt, both ripped in bloody tatters. "Really? No. I'm driving you to the ER. I don't care if I have to carry you there."

Nick looked to Renard for an out, but the Captain just shook his head. "Go with Griffin. At least for the kid," he said, and headed back to his car.

* * *

"For once, could you just do what you're told? Hell, not what you're told, but what's _good_ for you?!" Monroe huffed. He was hovering like a mother hen or _something_ as Nick struggled to pull his hoodie on in peace.

He'd been pretty lucky: a smack to the back of the head with no concussion, two bruised ribs and lots of scrapes, but that was about it. It could have been a lot worse.

"Will you just – sit down. Sit down!" Monroe gently shoved him back onto the bed and helped him the rest of the way into his sweatshirt.

"Thanks," Nick mumbled grudgingly.

He had to pause to get his breath back, and glanced over at the nurse's station, where an older woman in pink scrubs was entertaining a very unimpressed looking Tyler sitting in her lap. He seemed relaxed, but his ever present grin was gone and he kept looking over at Nick and Monroe.

They had better get going. Now, he just had to get his shoes on. Nick bit back a groan as he tried to bend over to lace them up and slumped in defeat. Monroe grumbled and knelt down to do his laces for him. That was just… embarrassing.

"All you have to stay is one night, man. C'mon. I think you need it."

"I can't. Tyler needs to stay with someone."

Monroe shook his head. "Leave that to the social workers, Nick."

"First thing I tried, Monroe." On the way to the ER, he and Hank had tried finding a home for Tyler over the phone with the crabby lady who passed for the social worker affiliated with PPD's SV unit. No luck. The three foster families usually on standby were either quarantined with a case of the chickenpox, already helping out with a case or on a much deserved break. "We've tried all our immediate options. He's staying with us until we can contact more relatives in the morning."

Monroe looked skeptical. "Us..?"

"Juliette and me."

Monroe gave an odd sort of laugh, tinged with a hint exasperation – one Nick was very familiar with. "So you think if you walk in with a drooling two year old on your hip and say 'hi honey, look what I found today', she's going to be totally cool with that?"

Nick blew out a sigh and gingerly pulled himself to his feet. "I think she'll be fine." He wished he still felt one hundred percent sure of that as the words left his mouth. "It's not like there's another option, Monroe."

The two made their way over to the nurse's station. As soon as Tyler saw Nick approaching, he reached out his little arms. "Nickeee."

"Hey, buddy," Nick said, giving the little fingers a gentle squeeze, "Monroe's going to carry you for a while, ok?"

Tyler looked confused, but didn't protest when the nurse held him out to Monroe. Monroe accepted the tiny, blond headed charge looking thoroughly uncomfortable, and held him out at arm's length by his armpits. Nick looked up from the papers he was signing and groaned.

"Monroe… Don't hold him like that, please."

"Hey, I have zero experience with little… people, ok? Cut me some slack." Still, he adjusted the kid into a more comfortable position at his hip. Tyler reached up and pulled on his hair.

"Doggie?"

Nick stopped writing again and locked eyes with Monroe. "Did he just…?"

Monroe mirrored his suspicious expression. "Is he..?"

Tyler seemed to sense the tension in the air and twisted in Monroe's hold to face Nick. Nick backed up a little in surprise as Tyler's eyes dissolved from their intense blue to an eerie, shimmering yellow, then back again.

"Monroe – "

"Saw it too. Let's go."

The nurse behind the desk stopped Nick by laying a wrinkled hand on his arm. "Social services dropped this off for you…" She bent down behind the counter and lifted a black baby seat up. Then up came a bag of supplies that looked about as big as a suitcase packed for a two-week trip.

Monroe reached over, slung the bag of his spare shoulder first, then grabbed the car seat with one hand, stilling Tyler against him with the other. The nurse handed Nick another clipboard of endless forms. He smiled apologetically at Monroe and his very obvious discontent at being enforced the role of pack horse. Then he thanked the nurse, grateful for her skipping any lectures, and they made a swift retreat to the parking lot.

After Monroe had suppressed the frustrated woges that came from wrestling the car seat into place in the back, and then working Tyler's tiny limbs into the complicated straps and buckles, he pulled out onto the street and in the direction of the freeway.

Tentatively, he broke the silence after a while. "Nick… I think he's Balaam."

If Dan was Wesen, it only made sense that his son would have inherited some traits too. So the guy was Balaam. Nick sighed. "We think his father gambles in the Lowen games."

Monroe's shudder was nearly imperceptible. "I thought you'd brought that ring down, and made sure none others sprung back up."

"Not well enough, I guess. Remember Leo Taymor? And the associate that got to walk?"

Monroe nodded stiffly.

"He built up a new network. Dan, the father, had a big debt on his hands. They're asking for payback now: he and his wife were abducted this morning."

"And the kid got out of it?"

Nick glanced at Tyler through the rearview mirror, who was fast asleep, one tiny hand dangling off the arm rest of his car seat. "They saw it coming and hid him."

The lights were on in the living room when Monroe pulled up in front of the house, and Nick saw Juliette's silhouette glide past the window.

Tyler hadn't budged, so he turned to Monroe. "Will you take him inside? _Carefully. _Do not wake him."

Monroe got out of the car muttering darkly about bossy Grimms, and pulled the back seat door open. There were a couple German curses again, a muffled growl, then the click of the buckles finally coming undone and he lifted Tyler out with surprising care.

* * *

Juliette pulled the front door open before Nick could finish turning the key in the lock. She greeted him with the expectant smile that was her habitual response to him coming home so late, but then her face her fell. "What happened to you?"

She grabbed his arm and led him over to the couch. He sunk down onto it slowly. "Nick, what happened?"

"Long story. But it's okay, it's no big deal. I got hit by a car – "

"No big deal..?!" she began, then just sighed, and placed her hand over his. "Are you okay?"

Nick nodded, beckoning her over for a kiss. Monroe cleared his throat loudly from the doorway. Juliette jumped up from the couch and ushered him in. Her jaw dropped slightly at the sight of the sleeping toddler in his arms, but she recovered quickly, and closed the front door behind them.

Nick watched her, tense, as she went to sit in the armchair opposite, and asked very calmly, "Who is that..?"

He shifted uncomfortably. "His name is Tyler Mason. He's two – "

"Nick."

"Ok. Social services didn't work out this time. And we were kind of the only option, because he's… Wesen."

"But he's so little. How could anyone possibly see he's Wesen?"

"His eyes. Back at the hospital, they changed. He's Balaam. I don't know if anyone saw, but he's so young I doubt it's something he can control. So… there's always the possibility a human could see it."

"Probably safest if that human were me." Juliette sighed, then her gaze travelled back to the sleeping baby. They lingered there for a while, and Nick had a hard time detaching his own gaze from the look on Juliette's face. He'd seen it before. "Are his parents dead?"

Nick took her hand in his. "No. We're going to find them before that happens."

* * *

Monroe had basically sprinted out the door at the first hints of an awkward conversation, so they were left alone in the living room now, as Juliette went through the bag of supplies. There was everything possible and imaginable inside, from diapers and pajamas to… a jar of peanut butter. Everything, that is, except where the tiny guy was supposed to sleep.

And they were running a little short on ideas. "The couch? It's pretty comfy, and he hasn't moved so far," Nick offered.

Juliette shook her head. "We can't just leave him on the couch… He'll roll off."

"We'll put soft stuff on the floor next to it." He'd been hit by a car today; an 18-inch drop onto a pile of pillows and blankets shouldn't be lethal. But what if he woke up early and came looking for them… or his parents? Nick cringed internally. Tantrum waiting to happen. "The guest room upstairs?"

"No way. We don't have baby gates… I don't want him taking those stairs by himself." Nick felt a small smile tug at the corners of his lips. She really did think of everything.

Juliette wrinkled her nose slightly. "That leaves… our bedroom. We can leave the door closed and… there at least we'll hear him when he moves."

Nick shrugged. "It's only temporary. We're looking into close relatives for him tomorrow." But he could tell having a small child in their care didn't seem to bother Juliette much. That was a bit of a relief. She was a lot more accepting now that she was in the loop as far as all things Grimm went. That had to be it.

"Let's get you – you both – to bed," Juliette said. She stood and extended a hand which Nick took gratefully, trying not to pull on it too much. He winced all the way to his feet.

Juliette placed a quick kiss on his lips. "Glad you're in one piece at least."

Nick watched, slightly mesmerized, as Juliette lifted Tyler into her arms. He didn't even stir, cheek resting against her shoulder. Nick cleared his throat discreetly and let her lead the way up to the bedroom.

It took a while for them all to get settled, but forty minutes later Nick found himself pleasantly drifting. He squinted through the dark to the other side of the bed. Juliette had her head propped up on her elbow and was peering over the edge of the bed down at Tyler, all set up on the makeshift bed they built out of a couple pillows and spare blankets. In the darkened room, Nick could just barely distinguish the small smile on her lips, but it was there.

* * *

What woke Nick the next morning was unrelenting, breathtaking pain in his ribs. He got his eyes open, squinting past the daylight streaming in through a gap in the curtains. Felt like something was sitting on his chest –

"D'ood mow'ning Nick!" Tyler exclaimed. Not only had he succeeded in climbing onto the bed, but he was also sitting on top of him.

"Hey, buddy?" he croaked, eyes beginning to water. "Could you…?" Miraculously, Tyler seemed to understand, and shimmied off to tuck himself into his right side.

"Th-thanks."

There was rustling from Juliette's side of the bed, then a sleepy sigh as she rolled over to face them. "…How did he get up here by himself?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.

Nick shrugged, gingerly probing the sore spot on his ribs. Tyler inched a little closer to him, but seemed to be inspecting Juliette very carefully. She smiled reassuringly at him, and Nick felt the kid relax.

"Hi, I'm Juliette."

Tyler waved. "Juju."

Juliette climbed out of bed. "Are you hungry?"

Tyler nodded so enthusiastically, he nearly pitched over sideways. Juliette held a hand out to him and he crawled over, letting her whisk him up onto her hip.

Watching her, Nick felt a smile creep over his lips. Her red hair was mussed and sticking up slightly on one side, but she was bright and smiling, and looked just as beautiful as ever to him. He reached a hand out to her.

"Take your time getting up," she said, kissing it, and left the room. Her muffled voice came back to him from the stairs, followed by gleeful but mostly nonsensical baby babble.

Nick glanced at the bedside clock. He had roughly an hour left to get to work. With all the chaos last night, he hadn't even thought it might take him longer than usual to get up and going in his current state. He took it slow, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed.

High pitched giggling floated up the stairs. A reassuring sound – Tyler hadn't been traumatized by yesterday's events. Nick wiped a hand down his face. Hopefully, the little guy's relatives would be available, and he'd have somewhere familiar to stay from here on.

He made it to the bathroom door when a cramp in his ribs doubled him over. He clutched his chest. It was a miracle Tyler had made it out of the crash with just a graze. Nick lowered himself to the tiled floor, and tipped his head back against the wall until the cramp passed. There was one thing he couldn't wrap his head around; if Jenna and Dan's attackers had come back, they must have known about Tyler. Or tortured the Masons into telling them. But if this was truly just revenge sought for a gambling debt, why involve Tyler? Who would feel it necessary to even consider hurting a child? But a far worse scenario had crossed Nick's mind… If they were capable of hurting a child, what would they do to Jenna and Dan to get their way?

* * *

_TBC_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Hello... The last chapter is finally up. First off, I would really like to apologize for how long it took me to update! Things have been a bit (very) crazy for the past two months. Second, thank you so much for the kind reviews, follows and favorites. It really means a lot. I hope you all enjoy the last installment of Tiny. Happy reading...**_

* * *

"Um… Honey? Could you bring me a clean shirt when you come down?"

The request floating up the stairs made Nick pause in pulling his hoodie on. He finished dressing as quickly as he could, then pulled one of Juliette's navy blue blouses out of the dresser and headed down into the kitchen. He'd had his suspicions about her need for a clean top. But laying eyes upon the breakfast scene going on downstairs, he was pretty sure they'd need more than just fresh shirts. A paint job on all the cabinets in Tyler's reach might do it.

Nick stared. "What did I miss?"

"He wanted a banana and peanut butter."

Tyler held out a hand filled with a sticky mix of those two ingredients. Most of it had ended up on his face, the table, the nearby cabinets, Juliette's shirt – everywhere but in his mouth.

Nick held up the spare blouse to Juliette, bouncing his eyebrows, then laid it on the back of the couch, as far from the sticky little fingers as possible. Jesus. He knew kids were a handful… But this was entirely new territory. He had no idea meals meant spring cleaning afterwards. He lowered himself into the chair next them.

"Listen, honey, I'm sorry… because I know you have to work, but it would be safer for Tyler to be at the precinct rather than here, in light of what happened yesterday…"

Juliette gave a sigh, but smiled at him. It dawned on Nick that she looked quite tired. "It's fine. I can take the day off work."

"Thank you, babe," he reached across the table and squeezed her hand. His became very peanut-buttery.

"Sorry." She hid a giggle. "Breakfast got a little messier than we'd anticipated."

"Messy!" Tyler declared and reached out and tapped Nick on the stomach, leaving a trail of tiny, greasy fingers on the gray fabric. "Oops."

Nick couldn't help but chuckle – there was no time to change, so he wiped off what he could with the dish towel and zipped his hoodie up halfway. "We need to get going."

They got Tyler relatively cleaned up and buckled into his car seat in what seemed like record time compared to last night. Juliette took the wheel, and they both sat patiently through half a drive's worth of excited babbling from the back seat – something about a red truck and a Dalmatian.

At a lengthened pause in Tyler's story, Nick turned to Juliette. "I know this was last minute." He took her now-clean hand over the middle armrest.

She kept her eyes riveted on the road. "I was going to take the day off anyway… I knew you wouldn't find his parents overnight so I planned ahead." Something at the back of Nick's mind told him that wasn't the full answer, but his phone rang before he could ask more. It was Hank.

"You're going to want to hear this man."

Nick glanced at Tyler through the rearview mirror. "Tell me."

"Clayton's van is registered to a Rick Sanders… He owns a mechanic shop on the edge of Hillsboro."

Nick frowned. "How are Sanders and Clayton related?"

"I guess we'll have to find out. Now get your ass over here so we can go check it out. I've already run it by the captain."

* * *

Renard looked up from his computer at the sound of a child laughing. Beyond his office window sat Nick's girlfriend Juliette, with their newest live case, Tyler Mason, in her lap. Nick had briefed him before coming in: there was no safer place than the precinct for them to stay for the day, while they sorted things out with relatives and interviewed the newest suspects. Renard couldn't agree more.

The Wesen angle of the case hadn't escaped him. Little did. He'd dealt with Leo Taymor at the time; done what had to be done. But going after his associate, Josh Clayton, hadn't been a possibility. He'd been tried and released, but his legal record now made it a slippery slope if his body ever turned up. The Lowen games should have been completely banned in the first place. It should have been obvious one would be built out of the ashes of Taymor's. Sean sighed and got up to speak with Juliette. Wu flanked him as he exited his office.

"I've been calling Tyler Mason's known relatives all morning. Dan's side of the family doesn't seem to want anything to have to do with them… Jenna has an aunt and uncle – Lara and Marcus Weaver. They live in Maine but could be here early tomorrow afternoon."

It wasn't ideal, but it seemed like it was the best solution for now. Hopefully the leads Nick and Hank had found today wouldn't be dead ends – the clock was ticking for Jenna and Dan. "We're sure that's our only option for now?"

Wu flicked through the papers in his hand. "Looks like that's it. Should we be looking into Dan's side of the family? Sounds kind of like they weren't too happy Jenna and Dan got married, _and_ had a child. Motive enough?"

Seemed highly unlikely. Dan was Wesen, Jenna was not. Maybe Dan's family just didn't approve of that aspect of the marriage. "Motive enough to kidnap them both? No."

Juliette gave them a friendly smile as they approached, and stood, setting Tyler down on the floor by her.

"Thank you very much for your time," Renard told her, "I know you must have other obligations." He gestured to Tyler, "If you would like somewhere quieter to rest, you may use the sick bay."

"That's very kind of you," Juliette began, then pressed the back of her hand to her mouth, looking a little green. Wu took half a step back.

"Watch him for a second?" she mumbled, then turned sharply on her heel and hurried off in the direction of the ladies' room. Wu gave Renard a bland look.

"Should Burkhardt be informed his girlfriend has been tossing cookies all morning? There is a bug going around after all."

Renard sighed and fixed Wu steadily. "I'll let you know. I can deal with _him_," he nodded down to Tyler. Wu looked very surprised – that was a first – but still nodded and headed back to his desk.

Sean felt a tug on his pant leg. Tyler had along way to look up. Renard discreetly surveyed the squad room; it was pretty quiet, the few officers at their desk were absorbed in their work - except Wu who was still goggling at him. He rolled his eyes and held a hand out to Tyler, who regarded suspiciously, then wrapped his fingers around Sean's index. He led him into his office, slowing his pace down to a twentieth of his usually speed to accommodate Tyler's millimetric strides. Once behind the closed door, he crouched down in front of Tyler and held his hands out.

The little boy backed up, and it was barely a surprise when the woge came on, his eyes dissolving into an opalescent yellow.

"I see you," Sean said.

Tyler stilled. Then he cocked his head to the side, and the blue flooded his irises again. He toddled into Renard's hands and let him lift him up off the floor. That wasn't so hard, was it? It puzzled Sean that all his officers were so mind boggled that he could ever be kid friendly. He wasn't that cold. Maybe he was… but all for good reason. He sat down at his desk with Tyler in his lap and scanned the oak top for anything childproof. Juliette seemed to be taking quite a while to return. He vaguely wondered if he should send a female officer in to check on her, then Tyler thumped him softly on the arm.

"'Ello," he said.

Sean stared. Then figured out what was clutched in the drool slicked fingers. His cellphone – _private _cellphone, the one he kept tucked away in a drawer of his desk for overseas communication only. He plucked it from the small hands and gingerly set it back in the drawer to be thoroughly cleaned later. Tyler did not appreciate this, and made a sound somewhere between a whine and a growl. Renard cocked an eyebrow at him and he piped down.

"You may have this." He handed him the dinosaur shaped stress ball that had been a... gift, from Wu. He hadn't asked why, dreading he wouldn't be able to 'unhear' the answer. Tyler, however, thought the dinosaur was more than a fair trade for the phone and gave him a toothy grin. It was infectious.

"There you are..." Sean wiped the grin off his face as Juliette reappeared, looking a lot less green. "I'm sorry about... that," she muttered uncomfortably and lifted Tyler out of Renard's lap.

"Juju back!" he exclaimed and gave her a fierce neck hug.

"It's not a problem," Sean followed them to the door. "It's a bit unjust to have this responsibility forced upon you, especially with you feeling unwell. The medic is on the second floor if you need him."

She looked flustered. "Oh, no, it's nothing. I mean, there's nothing wrong. I'm fine."

"Alright..." Sean was a little taken aback. "Well, if you do need anything, just let Sergeant Wu know."

Juliette nodded, obviously eager to get away, and made her way back to Nick's desk, where she and Tyler resumed a game of spilling all the detective's pencils out onto the desk, then putting them back in the cup. Although it aggravated him that none of the foster families were available, he was beginning to realize that Nick and Juliette were most likely the best option for the child for the time being.

* * *

If Rick Sanders was even trying not to look guilty, he failed miserably at it in the first seconds Hank and Nick entered the shop by bolting for the back door.

Hank paused to huff a sigh, then thrust an arm out and half lunged, arresting any further movement from the mechanic. Nick didn't even have the conviction to feel surprised as the guy twitched in Hank's grasp, gasped and sprouted a mousey snout and whiskers.

"Mr. Sanders… I get that the Grimm thing is a bit of a shock, but that's not why we're here."

When they were positive he wasn't going to run again, Hank let go and Sanders stumbled back a few steps.

"A Grimm and a cop?!" he spluttered, face snapping back to human. "Look, I-I don't want any trouble!"

Nick reached out and thumped a hand down on the guy's shoulder. He squeaked.

"We just want to ask you a few questions." Hank dug a mug shot of Josh Clayton out from inside his jacket and held it up. Sanders' eyes flicked to the ground and he wrung his hands.

Nick let out a short breath. "So you know him?"

"Th-that's Clayton… Used to work here."

Hank hummed thoughtfully. "And how'd you two get along, huh?"

Sanders shrugged; Nick tightened his grip on his shoulder. "Alright, alright! N-not too good. He's kind of an intimidating guy. Even though… y'know, I was his boss."

"Why did he quit?"

"He didn't quit… I had to fire him." Nick schooled his eyebrows before they could jump to his hairline. Sanders firing a guy like Clayton? Must not have been easy.

"Why?"

"He wasn't reliable. Always running off places early. And he roughed up one of the other guys, Johnny."

Hank nodded. "Do you know where he went to work after?"

Rick shook his head apologetically.

"Okay… Care to tell how he ended up with the van registered to your name?"

Indignity flared up briefly in the Maushertz' eyes. "He stole it! I did not give it to him!"

"So why not report it?" Nick questioned further, and this sobered Sanders up again. He took a deep breath, then fixed Nick with a damp, penetrating gaze.

"I've got two kids… And that guy… He's got resources. I don't know why, but he's no good. He's dangerous. I'm surprised he even left us alone after I laid him off. I wasn't going to get my name etched permanently into that little black book of his."

Nick held his gaze. "There's a little boy out there, whose parents are missing. He took them, Rick. Now, if there's anything you can tell us… It could help this kid get his parents back."

Rick stood rooted to the spot for a few seconds, then disappeared into the office to their right, and returned with a slip of paper. He held it out with shaking hands. "All I've got is the address he gave when I first hired him… I don't know if it's still correct."

Nick took the paper and passed it on to Hank, who typed it into the GPS on his phone. "Thank you."

Sanders shook his hand with a surprisingly tight grip. "I hope you find them."

. . . . . . . .

Hank banged twice on the apartment door. The concierge had confirmed it was still Clayton's current address. Which meant it was very plausible that he was not home. The man might not be the most experienced of criminals, but Nick doubted him to be stupid enough to sequester the Masons in his own domicile.

Four knocks later, there was still no answer. Nick and Hank exchanged a look. They had probable cause. A broken lock was the least of their worries. The door gave with a bang, followed by a terrified scream from inside the apartment and the sound of objects shattering. In the hallway before them stood a female Reinigen, a stack of broken plates at her feet. She put her hands up and backed up slightly.

"What's going on?!" she squeaked. She made eye contact with Nick and gasped, then scrambled back down the hall. Hank went after her. Nick vaguely listened to his muffled voice trying to calm her, as he scanned the apartment. It was in fairly clean condition, apart from the mess of broken dishes now littering the hall carpet. The place was decorated simply, but tastefully. A woman's touch. It just didn't seem like the place for a Lowen game runner to live… Hank and the woman reemerged slowly together.

"Sorry," she mumbled. "It's just the…"

"Grimm thing, I know," Nick finished softly. "I'm sorry we scared you like that. We're looking for Josh Clayton."

"Josh..?" she repeated. "Why, did he do something wrong?" Her face was like an open book; genuine surprise tinged with a hint of fear. Like she was about to find out something terrible.

Hank asked gently. "How are you two related?"

"I'm his girlfriend…" She was getting impatient. "Now would you please tell me what's going on?"

"He's abducted a young woman and her husband."

"I'm sorry?"

"I know this is hard to hear…"

She turned her back to them sharply. Nick could see her shoulders shaking. "You're certain of this..?" Her voice wavered.

"Yes," Hank told her gently. "Do you know where he is right now?"

She turned back around slowly, eyes wide and brimming with tears. Nick took a step closer. "What's your name?"

"C-cassadee…" she whispered.

"Cassadee, we're running out of time. We need to find them before he does anything irreversible."

She quickly wiped her sleeve across her eyes. "What do you need to know?"

"We need to know where he is."

"He said he was spending the day at the warehouse. He works in construction. They're restoring this one for the city…" She trailed off, and Nick saw her shoulders tense. "But knowing him, he's probably gambling again."

"Where does he gamble?"

Cassadee ran her fingers through her hair. "They get together in some run down electrical plant in North Portland. On the edge of the river. He took me there once… Why the hell would he kidnap someone, huh?!"

Hank stepped in. "The husband, Dan Mason, has a pretty big gambling debt... Jenna, his wife, was collateral damage."

"Is Josh a compulsive gambler, Cassadee?"

She gave a sad sort of smile. "He was. But he was getting better. We both were. That was how we met, and we put that behind us. Vegas was supposed to be a part of our past we never looked back on. We promised each other that."

Nick felt for Cassadee. There was quite a bit Josh had been keeping from her, and it wouldn't be easy to hear it all at once, considering what they'd been through together. "Do you think you could show us exactly where he gambles?"

A moment's hesitation crossed her face and she turned away slightly.

"If anything happens to Jenna and Dan… Their two year old son will be orphaned. He doesn't deserve a life like that –"

"Shipped through the foster care system like some object no one wants?" Cassadee finished for him. A single tear rolled down her cheek, but the look of quiet, cold anger on her face told Nick she was already with them.

. . . . . . . . . .

Cassadee sat quietly in the back seat, chewing nervously on her bottom lip. Nick caught her eye in the rearview mirror and gave her a reassuring smile that she returned vaguely. Even he had trouble keeping his spirits up right now. Hank fixed the road ahead of him steadily, but his fingers drummed nervously on the steering wheel. Twenty seven hours had passed; they were already well into the critical hours of a kidnapping. He thought about Tyler, the tiny feet and soft fingers, the carefree little grin.

"We're here," Hank muttered.

"Cassadee, you stay in the car, okay?"

Hank helped her into a Kevlar vest, then locked the car once she was settled low in the backseat. Then Nick and Hank strapped each other in, and cautiously edged their way around the main building to the front entrance.

As they turned the corner, muffled voices sharpened into aggressive words. "What the fuck do you mean she's not answering?!"

Nick recognized the voice instantly, and by Hank's set jaw and frown, he did too. Clayton continued. "Kevin, I swear to god, you get a hold of Cassadee! I don't care what it takes. Now, go!"

There was some scuffling, a crash, then Hank yanked Nick back around the corner and flattened him against the wall with his arm. The crunch of footsteps in the gravel got closer and closer… then stopped, and the sound retreated back in the other direction. Nick peered out from around the corner. A man, leather jacket stretched over broad shoulders slowly headed to the other side of the plant, hands in his pockets. Nick closed the distance between them as quietly as he could, then leveled his gun at the man's back.

"Portland PD. Turn around slowly with your hands where I can see them."

There was an inhuman growl, then the man whipped around on his heel, teeth bared in a sharply lionesque face. Out of the corner of his eye, Nick saw the claws protract…

There was bang, and Kevin stumbled to the ground, stunned and clutching his left shoulder. Nick whirled around and saw Hank lowering his gun to his side. He nodded, dazed by his own lack of reflexes. He wasn't stuck for long.

"Nick!" Hank called him urgently, having spotted something, then bolted out of sight and into the building. Nick was torn between leaving the Lowen, still writhing on the ground, and following his partner when a roar erupted from inside, making the decision for him. Nick skidded slightly in the gravel as he followed the sound. Just beyond the entrance were four figures, one on the ground; Hank was closest to him, gun leveled at Clayton, who had grabbed the person Nick had made out to be Jenna. His heart caught in his throat when saw Dan was the one sprawled in the gravel, unmoving.

"I said stop!" Hank barked, but Clayton paid no heed, dragging Jenna along by the hair and further away. She kicked her feet and struggled furiously. Long incisors glinted in Clayton mouth. He stopped, wrapped a huge hand around her neck and dragged her up until the balls of her feet barely touched the ground. His claws came out with a snick, and one pierced the skin above Jenna's collarbone, trickling blood down her chest and shirt in a thin crimson line. She gasped, going very still.

Dan hadn't moved an inch. Clayton's eyes darted crazily from Hank back to Nick, features shifting in and out of Lowen at a dizzying speed.

"Don't you fucking move!"

"Let her go, and then we can talk," Hank said evenly.

"Oh yeah?" Josh spat. "I let go, and what happens? You take me down? Put me away for life?"

"Not if she is unharmed."

If anything, Clayton grew more furious, and Nick got the uneasy feeling of being caged in with a prowling lion, despite the open space. A low growl rumbled from Clayton's throat.

"There's always a price to pay," he cast a disgusted glance down at Dan's immobile form. "As soon as you learn that, you know how to keep yourself alive. But if you don't…" He tightened his grip on Jenna's throat, and she choked. "This is what happens – "

"Josh!" Cassadee's voice cut through the space.

Clayton froze. He took a step back, eyes flicking back and forth between her, Hank and Nick. "Cassadee? What the hell are you doing here?!"

The second of distraction was all they needed. Nick took a shot that hit Josh just above the left knee and bolted forward. Hank snatched Jenna out of his grip and to safety.

Josh roared and swiped at Nick, claws tearing through the fiber layer of his vest and sending him sprawling. Hank swiftly got between them and spun Josh around, effectively shoving him to his knees, then flat onto the floor. Immobilizing him firmly on his stomach, Hank cuffed his hands behind his back.

Nick picked himself up with a difficulty and limped over to where Jenna had pulled Dan into her lap. The left side of his face was caked with dried blood, the eye a myriad of purples and blues, swollen shut. Cassadee had beat Nick to it and knelt down by the couple.

Jenna, hands trembling, grabbed Cassadee's in hers. "Tyler?! Where's Tyler?!" Sirens blared in the distance. Nick could only see the back of Cassadee's head, but some of the tension drained from her shoulders and he heard her say quietly, "He's in good hands, waiting for you at the police station."

"Thank you…" Jenna's voice trembled. "Thank you _so_ much."

"Help is on the way."

Hank nodded for Nick to check on Dan as he led Clayton out to the car. The sirens got closer as Nick got down on his knees by him as he started stirring. He felt for a pulse; it fluttered unevenly against his fingertips, but was there. Jenna, apart from the gash in her forehead and bruises on her jaw, looked disheveled but unharmed. She gently ran a hand through her husband's hair.

"Ty…?" Dan murmured weakly, leaning into the touch. Jenna lowered her forehead to his and his eyes slowly opened. They flickered yellow for a few seconds, as he blinked sluggishly, then slid shut again.

* * *

Nick stood with Hank by the nurses' station of Portland Gen for the second time that week. Dan had woken up in the bus on the way there, and was reassuringly coherent by now, despite the concussion and painkillers for his broken shoulder. Both parents waited anxiously for an officer and social services to arrive with Tyler.

"Nick," Juliette's voice called his name and he turned to see her exiting the elevator. He strode over to her, unreasonably happy to see her face and wrapped his arms around her. He held her there for a couple of seconds, just breathing her in.

"You're okay," she murmured, as if not believing it herself. Then he let go, and she slapped him on the arm.

"What was that for?"

"I seem to recall you were assigned light duties for the next two weeks," she crossed her arms. "Conveniently, we are at a hospital. Would you like another doctor's opinion?"

Nick sighed and placed a kiss on her lips. She brushed a thumb over his cheek. "Nice work, detective."

The elevator dinged again, and this time Wu walked out, followed by a sour looking woman in a pant suit, Tyler on her hip. His face was scrunched into a spectacular pout until he caught sight of Nick and Juliette, then his parents behind them, and a huge grin split his little face.

"Tyler!" Jenna gasped, and she rushed past them to get to her son. Dan followed slowly but surely after her and Tyler was gently whisked into both their arms in a desperate hug. His little head fit perfectly in the gap under his parents' chins and he closed his eyes as they squeezed him against them.

"My sweet boy…" Jenna sobbed quietly, pressing her lips to the top of his soft, blond head. "We're never leaving you. You know that?"

Tyler grinned, blue eyes bright, and splayed his tiny fingers against his father's cheek. Dan took the little hand in his and gave it a squeeze.

Nick, smiling, looked to his side at Juliette, but found she was no longer next to him. Then he caught a glimpse of her red hair disappearing into the elevator.

A soft tap on his shoulder brought him back. Tyler grinned at him. "Nicky!"

Nick smiled. Dan pulled away from the reunion to shake his hand with his good one firmly. "Thank you." He held his gaze for a moment, and yellow flashed briefly into it. Nick gave him a firm nod, then the moment was gone. Next, slightly unexpectedly, Jenna wrapped him in a hug. Tyler just gave him a soft pat on the cheek.

"Alright, buddy. Now you take good care of your mom and dad, okay?"

Tyler gave him a thumbs up.

"Sergeant Wu will escort you home." Nick watched them head down the hall, Tyler hugged against his mother's shoulder. The little guy grinned back at him one last time, before they were led into the elevator and out of sight.

Hank's hand squeezed his shoulder. "Get home, man. I'll finish this up."

Nick grinned. "You sure about that?"

"Don't get too excited. You're lucky I'm in a good mood and picking Jess up after work, otherwise, broken ribs or not, you'd be stuck with me."

Nick laughed and clapped his partner on the back. "I owe you one." Then he grabbed his crumpled jacket from the waiting room chair, and headed out to find Juliette.

. . . . . . .

The drive home was mostly silent. Juliette concentrated on the road, and Nick let her, only casting glances in her direction every so often. She looked exhausted. He felt guilty for having made her give up a whole day just to sit at the precinct with Tyler. Maybe take out and bubble bath was a start for making it up to her?

"I'm so glad you found them," Juliette spoke up softly before he could. "He's such a sweet boy."

Nick watched her eyes glisten in the light of the street lamps flitting by. They flicked downward briefly, as if she could feel his gaze, then back up and straight ahead. Randomly, a forgotten moment from two nights ago floated back into his head. Juliette had wanted to talk about something. Then just brushed it off, and acted completely normal thereafter. It briefly made him quite anxious, trying to figure out what it could have been. But if she could dismiss it like that… maybe it really hadn't been critical after all.

Juliette kicked off her shoes and shed her coat first, heading into the kitchen ahead of him. Nick took his time, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders at the prospect of just getting to be home knowing Tyler was back safe with his parents. He heard the fridge open, and pots clanking softly. He had better join Juliette before she could start cooking a whole meal.

"Honey," he slid his hands around her waist and pulled her away from the stove to the middle of the kitchen. He brushed his lips against her neck, and felt her relax slightly against him. "What do you say we order in…" He kissed her again, "Then have a bath…" Another kiss, and Juliette pulled away with a soft laugh.

"It's okay, Nick," she faced him. "Spending the day with Tyler was not as much of a drag as it seems."

Nick smiled to himself as he picked at the peanut butter stain on his shirt. "Ok, you caught me –"

Juliette turned away slightly, sniffling.

"Babe?" Nick laid a gentle hand on her shoulder and turned her back to him. She quickly wiped her cheeks with her sleeve. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head, red locks falling into her eyes, then laughed. And laughed again, until she was laughing and crying at the same time in little doses, and Nick was really starting to worry his knowledge on female emotions just wasn't nearly enough until she took his hands in hers.

"I've really been needing to tell you something…"

Nick held his breath. She looked down at herself, chewing her bottom lip, trying to find words. Nick gave her hands a squeeze that he hoped was reassuring.

"How would you feel…" she paused, took a deep breath. "...if I told we were having a baby?"

* * *

**_The End_**


End file.
